Trailblazer Evaluation Report 17/18

The influence of Multi Academy Trusts (MATs)
There are nine Multi Academy Trusts active in Thurrock. Schools from eight of these
Trusts have engaged with Trailblazer at some point. Six of these MATs contain three
or more Thurrock schools, some are made up entirely of local schools. This is where
the most successful joint working has been seen.
Both SWECET 1 and the GLC 2 schools are currently exclusively in Thurrock. All of
their schools are part of Trailblazer (nine in total). They have an interest in collaborating
within their MAT to share resources, bring consistency of offer, joint planning,
smooth progression, and the structures to allow it – for example regular meetings in
the calendar and an appointed lead across schools. It has not always been easy to
achieve, but these schools are now communicating effectively and seeing the benefits
of a joined up curriculum with varied, well mapped, progressive experiences for
children.
“There is an obvious opportunity here for us to join up resources and make sure
that our choices from the catalogue have maximum impact”
CEO, Gateway Learning Community
The GLC has a commitment to offer a consistent high quality cultural education
throughout a child’s education within the Trust. The secondary school will be
working with Trailblazer again, and it is hoped that they will be able to take a key
place within the GLC Cultural Champions planning group.
Within the SWECET the secondary school has taken the lead, coordinating
catalogue choices and joint projects. This is part of their vision that pupils within
the Trust will ultimately follow a ‘road map’ for their arts learning through primary
and secondary, with a cultural experience ‘passport’ to log activity.
“Within our MAT last year, Trailblazer has enabled us to develop and establish
relationships with Deneholm Primary School and Stifford Clays Primary which are
now fully engaged with the programme... Relationships have continued with
Beacon Hill and we have valued discussions and interactions with the wider
Thurrock school and art community at Trailblazer twilight and training events”
Cultural Champion, William Edwards School
“We have had joint planning sessions at half termly meetings, our showcase at
the end of the year, a joint production of Carmen and our choices for projects
next year all integrated into our curriculum plans”
Cultural Champion, Deneholm Primary School
With schools from the majority of trusts enrolled for the coming year, there are
opportunities to build on the examples being developed. This has the potential to
both extend the reach of Trailblazer, to develop planning that builds in progress for
pupils, and to embed cultural learning more firmly within the structures for
governance and management.
1 South West Essex Community Education Trust
2 Gateway Learning Community
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